Couple honored for bravery in Wesley Chapel movie theater shooting

Pasco Sheriff gives awards for courageous efforts

Derek Friedhoff and his girlfriend Jennie Manera received a thunderous applause just after their names were called.

WFTS

SPRING HILL, Fla. - Derek Friedhoff and his girlfriend Jennie Manera received a thunderous applause just after their names were called.

"These two nurses, when they came out and had the blood on them, you could see they were exhausted from what they just went through," said Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco.

Friedhoff works at Florida Hospital of Zephryhills, while his girlfriend works at Florida Hospital of Tampa. The two on a movie date in the Wesley Chapel theater where 43-year-old Chad Oulson was fatally shot on January 13.

Pasco County deputies say Oulson was shot by retired Tampa Police Captain Curtis Reeves during an argument over texting in the theater.

"It's in the worst of times that you really see the best of people and they really stood up," said Sheriff Nocco.

Friedhoff and his girlfriend say they simply did what they were trained to do and didn't think twice about it."

"It really wasn't anything we needed to think about," said Friedhoff. "We just jumped in and provided the care."

Friedhoff says he thought it was just a warning shot at first, but soon he realized Oulson was in desperate need of help.

"When I saw the person collapse, that's when I accessed the scene and decided it was safe enough that I could go provide care to the victim," said Friedhoff.

While holding their award plaques, the two continued to reiterate they don't feel like heroes, they just did was they have been taught to do.

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